The King's Aura

The arena was still buzzing from Li Wei's spectacular victory. The crowd was a riot of excited chatter, analyzing her unique combat style.

Sect Master Gu Ran was practically glowing with pride, and even the usually stoic Lyra had a small, satisfied smile. My dashboard, meanwhile, was doing its own happy dance: [Points: 4,710].

This was going to be a very profitable tournament.

Suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd. Not a gradual quiet, but an instant, profound silence that swept through the arena like an invisible wave.

All eyes turned to the royal box, where King Theron sat.

He stood from his golden chair, his movements smooth and deliberate.

As he rose, a radiant golden aura flared around him, not just a shimmer of Qi, but a palpable sense of majesty and power that filled the entire arena.

It was like the sun had decided to take human form. This wasn't just a powerful cultivator; this was a king.

Then, Dravo, the Mighty Dragon, who had been resting quietly on his platform, stirred. He let out a low, rumbling growl that vibrated through the air, and then, with a single, powerful beat of his colossal wings, he created a massive gust of wind that swept across the arena.

It wasn't just a breeze; it was a miniature storm, whipping banners, making cultivators' robes flap wildly, and sending a shiver through the entire crowd. It was a clear, undeniable display of his immense, Fourth Layer power.

King Theron, his golden aura blazing, simply raised a hand. The gesture was unhurried, almost casual. But the moment his hand went up, the chaotic storm Dravo had created immediately dissipated. The winds died down, the banners settled, and the arena returned to a profound, almost fearful silence.

The King's aura intensified, radiating an ultimate authority that made even the most powerful Sect Masters in their boxes subtly straighten their backs.

"Enough for today," King Theron's voice boomed, resonating with an undeniable power that seemed to echo directly in everyone's minds. "We will continue tomorrow."

And just like that, it was over. No fanfare, no lengthy closing speech. Just a simple, absolute command.

The crowd, which had been roaring with excitement moments before, now began to disperse, quietly, orderly, almost reverently. Cultivators from various sects, still buzzing from the matches, but clearly awed by the King's display, began to file out of the arena.

I stared after King Theron, utterly dumbfounded. "What?" I whispered to Sect Master Gu Ran, as he began to rise. "Just like that? It's over? But we just had Li Wei's amazing win! There were so many more matches!"

Sect Master Gu Ran chuckled, a wry amusement in his eyes. "Yes, Alex. Just like that. The King's word is absolute. When he says 'enough,' it is enough."

"But… why?" I pressed. "I mean, it was so exciting! The energy, the fights! We could have gone for hours!"

"Indeed," Gu Ran said, nodding. "But if we were to continue until every match was fought to its natural conclusion, without rest, without respite… many cultivators would be exhausted, injured, or worse.

The tournament is a test of skill, not endurance to the point of self-destruction. The King ensures everyone has a chance to recover, to strategize for the next day. It also prevents the arena from becoming too chaotic with prolonged, high-intensity Qi battles. If we just kept going, we would die before we knew it."

"Oh," I said, a new understanding dawning on me. Right. Cultivation battles probably weren't like endless video game levels. There were actual consequences. "So, it's like a… a forced halftime? Or a timeout?"

Gu Ran smiled. "Precisely. A strategic pause. And it allows the King to make his presence felt, to remind everyone of his ultimate authority. A subtle display of power."

"Subtle?" I scoffed. "He just summoned a dragon-storm and then made it disappear with a wave of his hand! That's about as subtle as a meteor shower, Sect Master!" I immediately regretted the last part, remembering my own disastrous "subtle" display.

Gu Ran merely chuckled, shaking his head. "To a Fourth Layer cultivator, that is subtle, Alex. A mere demonstration of control, not raw power unleashed."

My mind reeled. If that was subtle, what was unsubtle? Leveling a mountain range just to get a good view?

As we walked out of the arena, following the stream of cultivators, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of awe and ambition. King Theron. Fourth Layer. The strongest in the realm.

"Sect Master Gu Ran," I asked, a mischievous glint in my eye, "do you think… will I become like King Theron one day? Will I be able to summon a dragon and make storms disappear with a wave of my hand?"

Gu Ran paused, stroking his beard, a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked at me, then at my pristine white robe, then at my (currently retracted) wings.

"Alex," he said slowly, "your path is unique. Your 'systems' are unlike anything we have ever seen. You do not cultivate Qi in the traditional sense. But your potential… it is vast. Perhaps you will achieve a power even greater than King Theron's. But it will be a different kind of power. A 'systematic' power."

Just as he finished speaking, the blue screen flashed into my mind, vibrating with an almost indignant fury.

[SYSTEM ALERT: USER IS ASKING SILLY QUESTIONS. AND BEING FOOLISHLY AMBITIOUS.]

[SYSTEM STATUS: OFFENDED ON MY OWN BEHALF.]

Then, a new message, blazing with cosmic condescension:

HAHAHA! HE IS JUST IN THE 4TH LAYER! HE IS AN ANT IN—

"Hah?" I blurted out loud, startling Gu Ran and Lyra who were walking beside us. "Where? An ant in what?"

The blue screen immediately vanished. The System went completely silent. Not even a mental peep. It was like it had accidentally revealed something it shouldn't have and then slammed the door shut.

Gu Ran looked at me, a puzzled expression on his face. "An ant in what, Alex? Are you conversing with your 'System' again?"

"Uh, no!" I stammered, trying to look innocent. "Just… thinking aloud. About how small we are compared to the vastness of the cosmos! You know, existential stuff!"

Lyra raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. Urg just grunted, probably thinking I was even weirder now. Zephyr, however, gave me a knowing look, a subtle smirk on his face. He'd definitely heard it.

My mind, however, was reeling. An ant in what? The System, this all-powerful, sarcastic entity, thought King Theron, a Fourth Layer cultivator who could summon dragon-storms, was an ant? What did that even mean? What kind of power did the System truly possess? And what kind of power could I eventually wield if I reached its "First Layer" equivalent?

The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating. The cultivation world, with its Layers and its mighty King, suddenly felt… smaller. My own path, with its quirky systems and sarcastic cosmic guide, felt infinitely larger, more mysterious, and potentially far more powerful than I had ever imagined.

We arrived back at our luxurious lodging. The disciples immediately went to their rooms to meditate and recover. Sect Master Gu Ran and his commanders headed to a private meeting room to discuss strategy for tomorrow's matches.

I, however, found myself in my own chambers, staring at my dashboard. [Points: 4,710].

The Grand Sect Tournament was just a stepping stone. My own sect was just a beginning. There was a whole universe of power out there, far beyond the Layers of this realm. And the System, my grumpy, trolling, secretly all-powerful guide, was hinting at it. I had to know more. I had to reach that "First Layer" of power, whatever it was. And I was going to do it, one system at a time.